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Sunday, July 8, 2012

Part I Interview with Shawn Keenan, author of The Intern's Tale

I'm so excited to introduce this next book because the author is a good friend of mine. He's been working very hard on re-editing his book, The Intern's Tale, and I am thrilled about what he's done with it. I also have to boast about his cover-- he drew it himself and yes, that is a mechomare! You know you all want one.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Amazon Book Description:

By telling his corporate bosses to shove it, seventeen-year old intern
Kip Pureweather may have pushed the Incorporated Realms of America into
the third Dark Ages.

Kip’s first assignment away from Vassalcorp
headquarters in York City sends him on mechanical horseback to the
farmlands of Ohio. With feisty office-maiden Abbey Fairchild in tow, the
two trade barbs as often as they do stolen glances. Just as Kip and
Abbey are finding common ground, Kip learns the nature of his assignment
– the foreclosure of the Fairchild farm. When faced with destroying a
family to secure his future as a knight-executive, Kip defies the
all-powerful corporations and changes his destiny forever.

Kip’s
insubordination makes him an instant outlaw, and the only place out of
the corporations’ reach is the forbidden Empty Lands north of the
Realms. But the Empty Lands hold a secret the corporations have kept
since the time of the Generex, a war that brought them to power and
ushered in the second Dark Ages. With knowledge of an imminent threat,
Kip returns for Abbey, and with the help of a slave, a mailroom clerk, a
tabloid princess, and the self-proclaimed greatest-mind-of-their-time,
they take a stand against the corporations and the impending destruction
of their world.

About Shawn Keenan: Shawn Keenan is the manservant of two dogs who tricked him into
adopting them last year. He works for the sole purpose of feeding them,
providing superior medical care than he receives, and replacing the
many things they chew up while he is at said job. At night they force
him to slather them with attention and praise until his eyes are heavy
and his bed is sufficiently covered in short, coppery hair. When he
finally lays them down on their opulent blanket of serenity for the
night, they give him a look that promises more of the same the next
day. Fortunately, he has a beautiful wife and two fantastic kids to
support him through this self-inflicted ordeal. He lives in Florida and he also writes
stuff, such as his other novel, The Buried Covenant.

1. When did you decide to start writing? Tell us a little
bit about your journey to become a writer.

I’d written short stories, poems, and the like since high
school. I had a good background in
literature and writing from school but hadn’t done much in the field for
years. Then one day I was in a
bookstore. I’d just finished a really
wonderful book and was looking for something new. I kept picking up what seemed to be popular
titles, reading the first few pages, and putting them back down. I finally thought to myself, “If I want a
really good book, I may just have to write one.” Then, even more comically, I thought, “After
all, it’s just a bunch of words. I know
words. How hard can it be?” I wish I could time travel back to that
moment and throw a coffee mug at younger me’s head.

2. How did you come up with the idea behind The Intern's Tale?

I had this image of castle skyscrapers. I love medieval stuff anyway and during some
random daydream (probably while driving – yikes!) I thought about what our
country would look like if medieval times carried forward into modern day. That was the inspiration. Soon, interns were darting around the
countryside on mechomares and I knew a story wasn’t far behind.

3. Who is your favorite character in The Intern's Tale and why?
Why don't you just ask who your favorite kid is? Or favorite dog? (Ok, that's Max, and he knows it). I have to say Abbey. I think she's been the most consistent through the rewrites because I got her the most right from the start. There's little disguising the fact that Abbey is my ode to Princess Leia, my favorite headstrong, as-good-as-and-usually-better-than-the-guys character. I can totally see Abbey telling Kip to get a walking carpet out of her way.

Thank you for an increadible giveaway, that is such a fantastic oportunity. I found the above review really interesting & a privalige as a reader to be able to find out more about the author behind the work. x

Wow...I am intrigued. I can honestly say I have never read a story situated in modern medieval times, but would so love to read it. Abbey & Kip's personal feelings toward each other should make for an interesting story :)claudialemay1970@gmail.com

Thanks for the review! Based on the story overview you provided, I think I'll check this one out. I'm not usually a fan of anything medieval, but I do like how the author has blended it with a more current dystopian setting. (Maybe I just don't like the term "maiden" and/or "wench"! :))andrealsmith01@yahoo.com